If in doubt it is always best to remember if it has a cord, plug or battery it is e-waste.

What is the e-waste ban?

From 1 July 2019, e-waste can no longer be disposed of in landfill. The Victorian Government is urging Victorians to do the right thing and embrace responsible e-waste disposal. More information about the e-waste ban can be found on Sustainability Victoria's website.

What should I do with e-waste?

We are encouraging residents to manage their e-waste by dropping it at our Resource Recovery Centres in Alexandra, Kinglake and Yea. Alternatively, you can use one of the other e-waste drop off/collection services listed on Sustainability Victoria's website.

Will fees apply to dropping off e-waste at Council's Resource Recovery Centres?

Recycling of computers and televisions will continue to be free of charge at our participating RRCs as it is subsidised by the ‘National Television and Computer Recycling Scheme’. There will be a small fee of $2 per item for the disposal of other e-waste.

What happens to the e-waste collected?

E-waste that has been collected and stored at Council's participating Resource Recovery Centres is periodically collected by our e-waste recycling contractor. It is then taken to the contractor's EPA-certified facility to be sorted into the different recycling streams.

Why should I recycle e-waste?

There are many reasons why you should recycle e-waste, including:

It's good for the environment - all e-waste products can contain hazardous materials. Ranging from heavy metals like lead, mercury and cadmium to ozone-depleting chlorofluorocarbons (CFCS) and flame retardants. Even in small amounts, these dangerous chemicals can cause environmental contamination. When you multiply it by the millions of e-waste items being left in landfills, the situation becomes much more serious.

It's good to recover and reuse - e-waste also contains a whole range of valuable materials, including tin, nickel, zinc, aluminium, copper, silver, gold and plastic. A million mobile phones contain an estimated 15–16 tonnes of copper, 340–350 kilograms of silver and 24–34 kilograms of gold. When you consider there are more than 22 million discarded mobile handsets in Australia and growing, we’re throwing away a lot of precious resources.

Keep it out of landfill - In 2016, 44.7 million metric tonnes of e-waste was generated worldwide, but only about 20 per cent, or 8.9 million metric tonnes of this was recycled. The rest ended up in landfill. When you think about all the other rubbish that goes to landfill, keeping e-waste out is a much smarter idea.

How can I avoid creating e-waste in the first place?

Recycling your e-waste is important and necessary. But even better is to try and avoid creating e-waste in the first place. You can do this by:

carefully selecting the right product for your needs

choosing a brand that's environmentally responsible

only upgrading your technology if there's a real reason to do so

supporting businesses that are working to solve the e-waste problem.

If you have an item you no longer need, but which still works and is in good condition, consider trying to find a new home for it first. There are many people happy to take quality second-hand goods. You could:

offer it to friends or family

try swapping or giving it away for free via an online recycling site

donate it to a charity or not-for-profit organisation

sell it - there’s a large market for quality second-hand electronics and you’ll make money and be helping reduce the e-waste burden.

What are most Victorian's currently doing with their e-waste?

According to Sustainability Victoria research, most Victorians are unsure of what e-waste is and how to dispose of it. Many either donate unwanted and even broken items to charity shops, or store in garages and sheds until they decide what to do. Unfortunately, some e-waste gets dumped at clothing recycling bins situated at train stations and shopping centres, or even dumped on the sides of roads. Sadly, the vast majority of smaller items are included in general rubbish bins each month and end up in landfill.